Virtualisation and Cloud Computing

Virtualization allows runing multiple different operating systems on the same physical server.

It is a concept that refers to the use of a "cloud" of servers and computers around the world, linked by a network, such as the Internet. The cloud computing concept is similar to the electrical energy distribution. The host provides a technical platform able to host almost any application, service and charges according to resources consumption.

The virtualisation benefits: 

  • Material costs are lower because the servers are used to their full resources
  • The server can be managed from anywhere, a physical access is no longer necessary 
  • The need for sizing studies is reduced
  • Virtual machines can be migrated and snapshotées, which make them highly available
  • It is easy to create a virtual server per service. Services become isolated and thus more secure.
  • Change management is easier cause to perform rollbacks through snapshots can be done easily
  • Managing a data center is facilitated/smoothed because the equipment can be replaced without service interruption